A snap general election would leave the Commons ever more divided as both the Tories and Labour face losing a handful of seats, polling expert Sir John Curtice forecast today.

Sir John - who is in charge of the main exit polls at general elections - will spell out the details in a speech to the UK in a Changing Europe thinktank later.

Preview - Findings - Tories - Seats - Time

But a preview of the findings suggests the Tories would finish on 307 seats - down from 317 last time - with Labour on 256, down from the 262 it won in 2017.

Such results would leave the Conservative Party far short of a majority, which needs at least 320 seats. Even a renewed alliance with the DUP would not be enough.

Labour - Coalition - Government - Deal - Lib

Labour would also find it almost impossible to form a coalition government. A rainbow deal taking in Lib Dem and SNP MPs, plus all others, would technically be enough to install Mr Corbyn in No 10 but in a deeply fragile way.

Ahead of today's vote, government sources warned a new election may be the only way to break the Brexit impasse if MPs continue to reject the divorce deal.

Theresa - May - Hopes - Vote - Series

Theresa May's hopes were crushed in the third vote at 2.30pm as she lost 366 to 284 despite a series of high profile switches of...